When you mitigate something you lessen the force or intensity of it. In the case of wind and hurricane mitigation in Florida, you’re protecting your home from an inevitable force of nature, which is a good thing if you live in coastal regions that frequently experience high winds. What role does a wind mitigation inspection play in this home improvement, and what are the benefits of investing in this type of inspection?

What is a wind mitigation inspection?This category of inspection will look specifically at the areas of your home (or the home you’re interested in purchasing) that would be most affected by high winds and hurricanes. Your inspector will gather information on the following things;

Age of your home

Roofing material

How the roof deck is attached to the trusses and walls

Shape of the roof

Reinforcement of roof and gables

Secondary water resistance (protects against leaks if shingles are blown off)

How protected openings are (hurricane windows, shutters, etc.)

Material used in wall construction

If the proper wind mitigation techniques are already in place the inspection report is proof of this, and if not, it can give you a good idea of steps to take in order to protect your home.

What are the benefits?Aside from the obvious benefit of wind mitigation protecting your home from hurricanes and strong winds, a mitigation inspection can actually reduce your home insurance premiums. The state of Florida passed legislation many years ago which mandates what discounts are available for which wind mitigation features. The maximum discount is about 88% of your premium, which is nothing to sneeze at. By getting a wind mitigation inspection, you’re providing proof for your insurance company that these measures are in place. The inspection report is valid towards your discounts for 5 years, but your insurance company can choose to continue to honor it if your roof hasn’t changed or been replaced.

If you’re in the process of buying a home, you don’t have to have the wind mitigation inspection completed at a separate time. It can be bundled together with your new home inspection and completed all at once by the licensed inspectors at Super Inspection Pros. By doing them together, you’ll save yourself some time and when you get your new home insurance policy the discount can be included in it.

The discount you get can be substantial and is worth the one time investment for the inspection. If you’d like to learn more about wind mitigation, inspections, and reports, contact us to see how we can help.